Stratasys Inc. (SSYS) shares are climbing Wednesday after the company announced it will buy Markforged for $42.5 million. The move is designed to boost Stratasys' capabilities in high-demand manufacturing, especially in aerospace and defense, as it looks to grab more market share and expand what it can offer customers.
The acquisition is expected to create cross-selling opportunities and cost synergies within the first year after the deal closes, which is slated for the second half of 2026, pending regulatory approvals. Stratasys says the deal should be accretive to adjusted EBITDA from the get-go.
Markforged brings expertise in making lightweight, high-strength components—exactly the kind of stuff that's in high demand for aerospace and defense. By adding Markforged's distribution channels and technology, Stratasys can better serve those critical industries.
SSYS Technical Outlook: Key Support, Resistance and Momentum
Stratasys shares are currently trading at $9.80, which is 14.1% above their 20-day simple moving average of $8.67 and just 1.7% below the 200-day SMA of $9.73. The stock is also 18% above its 50-day SMA, signaling a bullish short-term trend. The moving average convergence divergence (MACD) is above its signal line, suggesting downside pressure is easing and momentum is improving.
- Key Resistance: $10 — a nearby level where rebounds could stall.
- Key Support: $8 — a level where buyers have stepped in before.
Stratasys (SSYS) Earnings Preview and Analyst Price Targets
Stratasys is expected to report its next quarterly results on August 12. Analysts are looking for earnings per share of 2 cents (down from 3 cents a year ago) and revenue of $138.79 million (up from $138.09 million).
The stock carries a consensus Buy rating with a price target of $11. Recent analyst moves include:
- Craig-Hallum: Buy, lowered target to $12 on March 6.
- Needham: Buy, lowered target to $11.50 on March 5.
- Cantor Fitzgerald: Overweight, raised target to $13.50 on Nov. 14, 2025.
SSYS ETF Exposure: Funds With Biggest Weighting
One ETF with significant exposure to SSYS is the Pacer BlueStar Engineering the Future ETF (BULD), which has a 5.80% weighting in the stock. That means any big inflows or outflows for that ETF could force automatic buying or selling of SSYS shares.
At the time of publication Wednesday, Stratasys shares were up 0.62% at $9.72.
Photo by Lutsenko_Oleksandr via Shutterstock
